


amortentia felicis

by bromanceorromance



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Hogwarts AU, M/M, Shy Louis, background potter characters, potions partners, potions partners to friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 19:59:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18373058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bromanceorromance/pseuds/bromanceorromance
Summary: Hufflepuff!Harry and Slytherin!Louis become potions partners due to a new rule by Headmistress Granger-Weasley.Louis is shy and focused - he doesn't have an interest in friends; he's at Hogwarts for an education. Harry's popular and loved by all. Louis assumes he's made it into NEWT level potions through favoritism rather than actual skill or smarts.





	amortentia felicis

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hilarry13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilarry13/gifts).



> The prompt was: " Larry AU: Harry!Hufflepuff Louis!Slytherin. Louis is the shy one and Harry is the popular one. Lab Partners to friends to Lovers. By Harry convincing Louis to be more outgoing. " And it grew into this creating a new potion monster that I spent a lot of time googling Amortentia and Felix Felicis and texting my friends regarding consent issues. HA. I think I have successfully navigated the consent issues - everyone is of-age in the Wizarding World (aka 17) and all potions are taken by consent.

"Professor Granger-Weasley has decided that, in the interest of promoting house unity, classes must be inter-mixed," Professor Malfoy announces. "Therefore," he continues, barely holding back a roll of his eyes. "Your potions partners will be chosen at random and you will be partners for the rest of the term. After Christmas, you will have the chance to switch partners. Until then, you will complete all of your assignments together - including the research project that will be due before Christmas break."

Louis glances around the room, wondering who he's going to get stuck with. Zayn catches his eye across the aisle and gives him a small hopeful smile. Louis's worked with him on projects before, he's a Ravenclaw and takes his schoolwork seriously. He wouldn't be a bad partner; he'd do his share of the work.

Harry Styles, a Hufflepuff, is in the front row, surrounded by his regular fans. Taylor sat to his right, fluttering her eyelashes every time he glances her way. Markus is on his left, muttering something amusing in his ear Louis assumes based on the grin on both of their faces.

"Sir, why aren't we allowed to pick our partners?" Harry asks after a moment. "We've all got friends in other houses."

Professor Malfoy's grey eyes study him for a moment. "Not everyone's so popular in all of the houses, Mr. Styles. Consider this an opportunity to branch out. Meet new people." He returns his gaze to the rest of the room. "Now, as N.E.W.T. students, you all have proven yourselves in my class. I expect all of you to share the work. There will be no slacking off."

Louis bites his lip, nervous to find out who he'll be partners with. He's always preferred to work alone, honestly. Other people usually just disappointed him with their inability to take school seriously. He planned to be a Healer and it took top grades; there was no room for slacking off in class.

"Now, gather your things, you'll need to sit with your new partner." He waves his wand at the board, waiting a moment as all of their names appear. He waves it again and they're all paired off. "Move quickly, I'd like to get started."

Louis's heart sinks as he sees his name paired next to 'Harry Styles'.

"Tommo!" Harry calls. "Over here."

Louis silently gathers his things and moves across the aisle to sit on Harry's left. He clears his throat. "My teammates are the only ones that call me that," he quietly informs the Hufflepuff.

Harry frowns. "Oh, okay. Sorry."

Louis pulls out his quill, ink, and parchment and prepares to take notes.

"So, how are you at Potions?" Harry asks.

Louis glances back to the front of the room, hoping Professor Malfoy would start his lecture to prevent him from having to talk to this boy he barely knows. His classmates are still finding places next to their new partners, though, and it appears Malfoy has decided to give them another moment.

"Good enough to get into N.E.W.T. level," Louis replies, a slight bite to his tone. He doesn't want this pretty boy deciding to slack off just because he's got Louis to do the work for him.

Harry just grins. "Obviously. I just wondered - I mean, I'm better at Charms, in general. I like to bake, though, and Potions is sort of like cooking - just, you know, more magic. Well, depending on how you cook, I suppose." He chuckles.

Louis can't believe he's stuck with this boy as his potions partner. He's going to have to work twice as hard all term.

"Alright, today we will be brewing Shrinking Solution," Professor Malfoy tells them. "You will find the directions on page thirty-six of your textbooks and - " He waves his wand at the board. " - useful tips on the board. We will test your potions at the end of class. You all have done this potion before, I expect excellent results from all of you."

Louis's a little disappointed by the task. He'd been hoping for a lecture day. He loved listening to Professor Malfoy talk Potions. He'd been mentored by some great wizards and really knew his stuff.

"I'll gather our ingredients," Harry offers. "This should be easy."

Louis nods, retrieving his cauldron and the potions supplies he knew they'd need from his bag. Harry crosses the room with a few other students, returning a few moments later to place their ingredients before them.

"I'll juice the shrivelfigs," Louis says.

"I'll slice the caterpillars," Harry easily accepts. "Thought we'd be doing something a bit more difficult our first day."

Louis shrugs.

"Maybe he's trying to lull us into a sense of complacency," Harry suggests.

"Doubt it."

They're silent for a few minutes, focusing on their potion. Louis's pleased to notice that Harry's barely had to look at the instructions, seeming to know this potion from memory. Perhaps he won't be such a bad potions partner after all.

"What other classes are you taking?" Harry asks.

"Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and Defence," Louis rattles the list off. They're the required subjects for becoming a Healer; Louis's had them memorized since his third year. His mum is an excellent Healer and he had every intention of following in her footsteps.

"I've got Herbology, Charms, Defence, and Arithmancy," Harry replies. "Only had an 'E' in Transfiguration, so I figured I'd drop it. And I quite like Arithmancy, anyways."

Louis makes a noise in his throat that he hopes is enough acknowledgement that he's listening. He wonders what Harry's plans are after school, but he's found that almost every time he's asked a fellow student they've been oblivious. They all seem to think they'll just fall into a career. Zayn was the only one that seemed to have a plan like Louis. He wanted to travel and study Ancient Runes. Possibly come back and teach after a few years. Zayn was quite the academic.

"Have you ever wondered why the directions in the book are almost always wrong?" Harry asks. "Because it seems odd that the author of the book managed to get the potion to come out correctly following their directions when Professor Malfoy almost always has corrections. And his corrections are always immensely helpful? Maybe he should just write his own book."

There's a low laugh and both boys turn to find their professor standing behind them. "I have thought about it, boys, but I just haven't found the time. And in answer to your question, Mr. Styles, there are certain things that have to be adjusted based on your location. Heat, humidity, time of day. All of these have to be taken into consideration when brewing."

"Like bread rises faster in a warm room?" Harry asks.

Professor Malfoy smirks. "Something like that, yes. I see your potion is coming along. You should be about to - "

"Add the last caterpillar, yes, sir."

Malfoy nods and walks away to observe the others' attempts at Shrinking Solution.

"You're very quiet," Harry comments.

Louis's cheeks pinken, but he steadfastly concentrates on their potion, waiting for it to turn green.

"Aren't you on Slytherin's quidditch team?"

"Chaser," Louis admits.

"I thought jocks were - "

"I'm not a jock," Louis cuts him off.

Harry studies him for a long moment. "I don't think you can be a quidditch player and not be a jock."

"Jocks are dumb. I'm not dumb."

The Hufflepuff frowns. "I never said you were."

Their potion turns green and Louis quickly removes it from the heat.

"Please turn in a vial of your potions with you and your partners' name on them, clean up your area, and you are free to go. We'll be discussing Felix Felicis next week and I expect one roll of parchment on the uses of Shrinking Solution on my desk at the beginning of class." Professor Malfoy returns to the front of the room. "I hope you all have a good first week of classes."

The noise in the room increases significantly as the students do as asked. Louis exits the room as soon as his and Harry's vial is on the professor's desk.

"Louis! Louis, wait up," Harry calls.

Louis's heart jumps into overtime as he disappears through a secret passageway to avoid the Hufflepuff.

Harry appears through the same passageway a moment later. "Why are you hiding from me?" he asks with a small frown.

Louis studies the floor as he starts walking again. "I'm not. Class is over." He hopes that Harry can't hear the way his heart is pounding. He doesn't know how to talk to people outside of class or quidditch.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to get together to study," Harry tells him.

"Study what?"

"Well, I thought we could look over each other's essays for Potions. And read up on Felix."

"I don't need any help on the essay," Louis informs him. "I'm just fine working alone."

He doesn't see the way Harry's face falls slightly at his easy dismissal. "Oh, uh, okay. Well, I guess I'll see you in Charms later."

Louis just shrugs and they part ways. Harry heads up to eat lunch in the Great Hall while Louis heads to his dorm.

 

\---

 

Dear Mum,

 

School is fine. They're trying to promote house-unity, so we're constantly being shuffled together. The Great Hall no longer has 'house' tables, but several smaller ones that seat twenty or so rather than a couple hundred each. They only bring out the house tables for the feasts, we've been told.

Professor Malfoy has assigned us partners for Potions. I've got Harry Styles - the popular little pretty boy who probably barely made it into NEWT potions.

Lottie's got a little girlfriend. I caught them snogging in the hall during prefect rounds. She hasn't looked me in the eye for two days. HA. Pheebs and Dais seem to be adjusting to school fine. I can't believe they've been separated into different houses, but they seem to be handling it so far. 

Give the little ones my love, Louis

 

\---

 

Gem,

 

How is London? I miss you. School is good. Liam's landed himself in detention. I think it might've been on purpose. Think he's got a bit of a crush on that Ravenclaw, Zayn. Markus has still got a right crush on you, if I'm not much mistaken. He insists I send his love. (barf) So there, sent. 

Professor Granger-Weasley's implementing a lot of new measures to promote house unity this year. It is making it much easier to mix with the other houses. I was getting sick of the looks I'd get for sitting with Liam. My yellow and black tie just stood out so much among all that crimson, I guess. 

Hope everything is well with you, Harry

 

\---

 

"Good afternoon, Louis," Harry says, taking a seat next to Louis.

Louis's blue eyes dart over to him. "Um, good afternoon."

Liam takes the seat on Harry's other side. "Have you seen Taylor today?" he asks Harry. "She said she was looking for you earlier."

Harry sighs. "Yes, she was hoping we could do Hogsmeade together. They haven't even announced the dates yet! And I thought she'd understood over the summer…" Harry shakes his head.

Liam pats his shoulder. "I think you're going to have to be a bit tougher with her, Haz. She's not going to go for this 'let's just be friends' business."

Zayn takes a seat on Louis's other side. "Hey, Louis."

Louis shoots him a small smile. "Hey."

Liam's momentarily distracted from his discussion with Harry. "Hey, Zee, when's your detention with Longbottom?"

Zayn frowns. "My name's Zayn."

Liam's cheeks flush. "When's your detention?"

"Professor Longbottom said I could do it early on Saturday."

Liam's face falls. "Oh, mine's this evening."

Zayn turns back to Louis.

"What was that detention for again?" Louis asks, smirking.

"Refusal to conform to dress code."

"And?"

"Cursing in class."

"And?"

Zayn sighs, smiling. His voice drops to a whisper. "Getting distracted by a fit boy and ruining a bloody plant."

Louis chuckles softly. Zayn's good at ignoring Liam's existence to his face, but he quite fancies the boy. Louis was slightly disappointed when he'd first figured it out, having been nursing a bit of a crush on Zayn himself. "You ever gonna tell him that?"

Zayn shakes his head.

 

\---

 

"So you're friends with Zayn Malik, right?" Harry asks, taking his seat next to Louis in Potions.

Louis shrugs. "Hello to you, too."

"Liam's got a huge crush on him."

Louis sets about arranging their table space. It's been a couple months of them sitting together in Potions and Louis's got a system down. Their potion for the day is already on the board. He opens the book to skim the directions. "I'll grab the ingredients. It looks like there's an hour stewing period, so Professor Malfoy's probably going to lecture."

"Lou, did you hear what I said?" Harry asks.

Louis ignores the way his heart skips over the nickname. "Yeah. I heard you. We need to get started."

Harry stares at him a moment and then takes the book from Louis's hands, turning it around to read the directions himself. They'd ceased bringing their individual books to class. Louis brought his and they shared it. It saved space and Harry liked to tease Louis about all his little notes he's scribbled in the margins.

"Be aware of those around you," Professor Malfoy calls. "This potion can cause serious disfigurement - especially before it's complete."

Harry compares the book's directions to the notes on the board and scribbles down a couple helpful things into the book.

"I'll slice and dice," Louis offers upon his return. "You stir."

"Stir and purr?" Harry smirks, pretending to swipe at Louis with a claw.

Louis shakes his head, trying to fight down a smile. "Yeah, sure. Purr away, Styles."

The Slytherin can't help but laugh a few moments later when Harry actually starts purring as he adds the ingredients to their cauldron.

"Boys, keep it down," Professor Malfoy tells them.

 

\---

 

"You should all be working on using non-verbal spells in all of your classes by now," Professor Potter-Malfoy states. "It's an important skill. It requires a great amount of focus. If you aren't an expert right away, keep practicing. I didn't achieve this skill until after I'd left Hogwarts."

Louis focuses with all his might, shouting 'EXPELLIARMUS' in his head as he pointed his wand at Markus.

"C'mon, Tomlinson," Markus says. "Give me your best shot."

Louis's cheeks brighten. He's always hated practical Defence lessons, not that he disliked the actual lessons - he just hated being put on the spot. He never knew what to say to these people. Sure, they'd been attending classes together for five years, that didn't mean he'd talked to these people. They'd never struck him as serious enough to bother with.

"That was a weak hex, Mr. Styles, but well done," Professor Potter-Malfoy congratulates the Hufflepuff.

Louis throws Markus across the room with a powerful expelliarmus a few moments later.

"And Tomlinson, excellent. Excellent. Davies, work on that Shield Charm. Now, everyone switch!"

Harry throws Louis a grin from his place a few feet away. It distracts Louis from even attempting to throw up a Shield Charm. Luckily, Markus doesn't achieve anything beyond appearing constipated as he attempts non-verbal spells.

 

\---

 

"Liam is getting ridiculous," Harry mutters to Louis during Potions. "Wait, give it a second." Their potion turns brighter green. "Okay, now."

Louis drops the rat tail into the potion. "What has Liam got to do with me?" he asks Harry. He was finally growing accustomed to Harry's incessant need to talk during brewing sessions. He'd remained silent for over a month before finally responding to Harry's inquiries.

"It's your best mate's fault," Harry hisses. "Zayn's been hot and cold with him all year."

A smirk fights its way across Louis's face. "I wouldn't say Zayn's my best mate."

Zayn clears his throat from a few feet away. "You know I can hear the both of you?"

Harry flashes him a smile and then mutters a quick 'muffliato'.

"What did you just - " Louis looks around, unaware of what spell Harry had just cast.

"Oh, it's - "

"Finite," Professor Malfoy mutters. "I'd appreciate if you didn't use that during class, Mr. Styles. Whether I'm lecturing or not."

Harry's cheeks flush pink. "Sorry, Professor."

Louis waits for their professor to walk away before asking again. "What was that?"

The Hufflepuff's eyebrows pinch together. "You've never heard of muffliato?"

"Obviously. What does it do?"

"Oh, it's useful for when you want to have a private chat," Harry explains with a shrug. "Silencing charm of a sort. Makes it so others can't hear you."

"Where did you learn it?"

"Liam picked it up from his sisters. Most professors don't notice when you use it."

"Most professors aren't married to Harry Potter," Professor Malfoy mutters, lips quirking into a little smile.

 

\---

 

"How do you feel about these tables?" Harry asks.

"What are you doing?" Louis frowns over at him, eyes darting to Harry's friends taking the rest of the empty seats at the table.

"Oh, was this seat taken?"

"No, I just - "

"Thought you'd sit alone? Like you always do?"

Louis cheeks brighten.

Harry nudges his elbow. "I just thought you could try out having some company for dinner. We can head up to the library after this and work on our project."

"Where's Zayn?" Liam asks.

"I'm not his keeper," Louis replies, shooting Harry a knowing look.

"More of a Chaser, aren't you?" Harry teases.

"Oh, haha, a Quidditch joke from you."

"They kicked our arses last week, if you remember," Liam reminds Harry.

"Your arses. They haven't played the 'puffs yet."

"Well, we kicked your arse, so I expect they'll do the same."

Louis grins. "You've got a decent set of Chasers, but your Seeker… He's got nothing on ours."

"Just because you've got the bloody Potter-Malfoy kid. Daughter of two seekers - one of them the youngest in a century. Better than either of her fathers were, I've heard," Markus joins in. "And I heard she's been trained by Ginny Weasley - and she was bloody good in her day."

"Mia's good," Louis agrees. "Much better than… who was it you've got on Hufflepuff? Peter Smith?"

"We didn't have a lot of choices this year," Markus argues. "He's fair, though. If he can keep his mouth shut, we could stand a chance of winning."

Liam snorts. "If you could add an extra arm to his broom to catch the snitch you might win. As it is… " He pats Markus's back. "I think it's a lost cause. Ravenclaw's the only chance of beating Slytherin this year."

"Yes, they're Seeker's quite fit, isn't he?" Harry teases Liam.

Liam blushes. "Their Keeper's probably best in the league."

"As a Weasley, she'd have to be," Harry easily agrees.

"Why don't you play, Harry?"

Markus and Liam both snort.

"Hey," Harry weakly protests.

"He's not exactly athletic," Liam informs Louis. "At all."

"It doesn't matter. I don't really like flying - it makes me nervous," Harry admits.

Louis's eyes widen. "You don't like flying?"

Harry shakes his head.

"Don't bother, Louis," Markus tells him. "We've tried for five years. He's just not comfortable riding a broom."

"Quite comfortable riding some other \- "

Harry smacks his hand over Liam's mouth. "Shut up." His eyes dart to Louis's, nervous.

Louis doesn't notice; he's too busy picturing Harry riding his cock.

Markus and Liam make their excuses and disappear. Louis's suddenly aware that he and Harry are the only two remaining at the table.

Harry clears his throat. "So, library?"

 

\---

 

"We have to test our theory," Louis reminds him.

"We can test it! We've got two friends who are basically in love. If we add - "

"No," Louis cuts him off. "We cannot - we cannot give Zayn or Liam Amortentia in an effort to clear their sexual tension."

"But that's the point!" Harry argues. "It won't do anything at all because they're already in love with each other. I don't think it would alter their behavior at all."

"What if it does? What if it completely ruins any chance of them getting into a proper relationship?"

Harry's face falls slightly. "Well - it's only sixth year. They've still got next year to get sorted."

Louis shakes his head. "No. We're not. No."

"Okay, what do you want to try?"

"I think we should try altering a potion slightly. Adjust the ingredients or the spell to get different results," Louis replies. "Make something less potent, perhaps. Dilute it."

"Okay \- what if we dilute Amortentia and - "

"We are not testing anything on unwilling subjects," Louis interjects.

Harry rolls his eyes. "Dilute Amortentia and combine it with a diluted Felix. Create a sort of… First date potion."

"Okay. So it would increase your natural abilities to flirt and such while also doing what?"

"Well, you'd swap with your date at the beginning of the night - date - whatever. It'd make you infatuated with each other that way and increase your compatibility."

Louis nods. "Okay. We might be able to do this. We could probably get some sixth and seventh years to volunteer as test subjects once it's deemed safe."

"You convince Zayn and I will convince Liam." Harry grins.

"Harry, we are not doing this entire project just to get them together."

"Maybe you aren't," Harry replies. "I just think they need a bit of a nudge in the right direction."

"Which you think is the bedroom?"

"Eventually, yes."

 

\---

 

"This isn't working." Louis frowns down at their solution. "Maybe we should just try something else."

Harry sighs, vanishing the potion with a wave of his wand before beginning to clean their work area.

"What about - "

"Can we just take a break, Lou?"

Louis frowns, unsure what the flip of his stomach is telling him about Harry's casual shortening of his name.

Harry misinterprets his momentary silence. "Just for today," he insists. "I think we need to just - give it a break and come back to it tomorrow."

The Slytherin nods. "Agreed. I guess I'll go work on the essay for - "

Harry chuckles. "No, no, no. A proper break, Lou. Not just shuffling the time around for another assignment."

Louis shoots the Hufflepuff a look of disbelief. "What else would you suggest I do?"

He grins. "Come to Three Broomsticks with me. Have a butterbeer. Relax. Just for an hour or two."

Louis hesitates. "I do need to check if the book I ordered is in - "

"Good, I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall in twenty minutes?"

"Okay."

 

Twenty five minutes later, Louis finds Harry waiting for him. "Sorry, sorry, I got a bit distracted."

Harry smiles, waving away the apology.

"Where are we meeting your friends?" Louis asks as they make their way out of the castle's front doors.

"Oh, they've all been there all day," Harry replies, haltingly. "Maybe run into them in Three Broomsticks, but - uh, I figured it'd just be us."

Louis trips, blushing as Harry catches him by the elbow. "Oh. I didn't - oh."

Harry lets his hand linger a moment before it slides down Louis's arm to thread their fingers together. "If that’s okay?" Harry asks.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Louis replies.

They lapse into silence as they approach the gate.

Professor Longbottom takes down their names at the gate. "Getting a late start, boys?"

Harry flashes that charming grin of his. "You know how NEWT year is, Professor. Been working on our Potions project, but convinced Lou we needed a proper break."

The Herbology professor glances between them and briefly down to their interlaced fingers. "Well, stay out of trouble, you two. Gates close before dinner."

"Of course," Harry easily agrees. "We'll be back."

They stroll on past the gates and walk the short way to the main street of Hogsmeade.

"Want to grab a drink?" Harry asks.

Louis nods, thinking that maybe it'd give him an excuse for all this silence. He's never been good at dating. He never knows what to say or what to do with his hands. He adjusts his scarf, flicking one end over his shoulder.

Harry holds the door open at the Three Broomsticks for him. It's loud and crowded inside, full of both teachers and students enjoying their weekend. Louis and Harry step up to the bar to order their drinks and Harry waves Louis's money away before he's even retrieved it from his pocket.

"My treat," Harry insists, having to lean in to speak directly into his ear.

The feel of Harry's breath against his cheek sends Louis's brain on a tailspin of inappropriate thoughts, but he swallows it all down and nods. "Thanks. I'll buy next time," he promises.

Harry grins, taking their drinks from the bartender and gesturing towards a small table at the far end of the room. Louis leads the way towards it, pleased to find that this end of the room isn't quite as loud as the area by the bar.

He sits stiffly and takes a slow sip of his butterbeer.

"I don't usually see you in Hogsmeade on the weekends," Harry comments.

Louis shrugs one shoulder. "I don’t usually come for long if at all," he admits.

"Just to pick up your book order?"

"I just - I prefer to study. And I don't usually get invited to tag along with anyone," he admits.

"Well, in that case, standing invitation to join me anytime there's a Hogsmeade weekend," Harry offers. "Even just as friends," he adds.

"But you don't want to just be friends?" Louis's surprised he manages to ask.

Harry smirks, slightly. It's an expression that Louis always found a little too egotistical before he got to know Harry. He still finds it a bit cocky, but it doesn't turn him off anymore. "Am I that easy to read?"

Louis chuckles, looking down at his drink, thinking of all the ways he'd misunderstood Harry in the past. "Definitely not. That's why I'm asking. I just - I've never really succeeded at the whole dating thing before."

"You can't really succeed without some practice, right? And what is success at dating? Finding the one and getting married? Suppose that means I'm quite the failure as well so far."

"I just never know what to say," Louis insists. "Or how to act or - "

Harry reaches over and takes one of Louis's hands away from his drink to thread their fingers together. "There isn't a script, darling. I don't want to date the perfect boyfriend, I want to date you."

Louis blushes.

Harry squeezes his fingers and let's the silence linger for a moment. "Have you ever wondered about them?" He asks, nodding his head towards the corner. Professor Malfoy and Professor Potter-Malfoy sit next to each other across from a dark-skinned bloke and a redhead.

"What about them?" Louis asks. "Potter's famous, yeah, but it kind of - it's not really a big deal after you've had him teaching you for a bit. He's just another professor, yeah?"

"I always wondered how they ended up together," Harry confesses. "I mean - The Boy Who Lived and an ex-Death Eater?"

"According to Rita Skeeter, Malfoy's got him under a spell, blackmailing him, or they fell in love at first sight at eleven. Depending what day of the week it is."

Harry snorts. "Read a lot of Skeeter, do you?"

Louis's cheeks flame. "My mum does. And my sister. Even though they know it's a load of rubbish."

Harry glances back towards the corner. "I just think - maybe if they can make it work, anyone can make it work."

"Romantic, are you?" Louis smirks.

Harry's eyes linger on his for a long moment. "Maybe I am."

 

\---

 

"You haven't said where it is we're going," Zayn reminds Louis.

Louis chuckles. "Gryffindor's having a party."

"And how did you get invited?" Zayn asks.

"Harry."

"That doesn't explain how you got invited. He's a 'puff."

"Liam's a lion," Louis points out. "He invited Hazza. Haz invited me."

Zayn stops, grabbing Louis's arm. "So Liam's the one that's invited us?"

Louis grins.

Zayn shoves him arm. "Shut up. You can't just spring this on me."

"The fat lady's right there. We can't just turn around now."

Zayn fidgets for a moment, fingers running through his hair and then straightening his shirt. "What I really can't believe is that Harry's gotten you to agree to attend a party."

Louis blushes, tugging Zayn forward.

"What's happened to my shy little snake?"

Louis doesn't get a chance to answer as Harry comes up behind him, pinching his sides causing Louis to giggle and squirm. Zayn smirks.

"Lou, you came!" Harry exclaims, pulling him into a quick hug. "I wasn't sure you would."

"Well, I - " Louis's eyes dart to Zayn's. "I thought I could use a bit of a break. From homework."

Harry grabs Louis's hand and pulls him towards the portrait. "Well, I'm glad you did - Dumbledore \- "

"Indeed," the fat lady responds, swinging open.

" - Liam wanted every house represented and I'm not sure any other Slytherins even got properly invited." Harry shakes his head. "He didn't really think that one through much. I did mean to invite Sirius and Elena after Potions yesterday, but I just - I got a bit distracted." He blushes, remembering the way his and Louis's potion had backfired, the fumes causing everyone who inhaled them to experience a high that both Madame Pomfrey and Professor Malfoy had never witnessed.

"We definitely need to get in some work on our project," Louis says with a frown. "I think it may have been - "

Harry turns and stops him just inside the portrait hole. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. No work talk at the party. We can talk about it at breakfast. We can work on it tomorrow. Right now, you just need to relax."

"Louis! Zayn!" Liam exclaims. "You came! Come on in. We've already banned the younger students to their beds - "

"Can you do that?" Louis frowns.

Liam chuckles. "It's for their safety, really. And we all already know that most of them have snuck over to the third year boys' dorm to have a little party of their own. Katie'll check on them later. We've got butterbeer; no firewhiskey this time." Liam shoots Harry a glare.

Harry raises his hands in surrender. "I didn't have time to - "

"Yeah, yeah." Liam rolls his eyes. "Too busy with the new boyfriend, I know."

"We aren't - " Harry starts, shooting a slightly panicked look at Louis.

Louis blushes, looking away to take in his surroundings. He'd never been to Gryffindor Tower before. It seemed cozy in much the same way as he found his own common room.

"What do you think?" Liam asks, gesturing to the room. He says the words to Louis, but Louis can tell he really wants to know what Zayn's thinking.

"Bit like your common room," Louis says to Zayn. "Just less books."

"And more crimson," Zayn adds with a nod.

"Scarlet," Liam corrects.

The corner of Zayn's mouth twitches as his eyes slowly turn to Liam. "Scarlet, right."

Liam cheeks brighten.

Harry coughs. "Lou, let's grab you a butterbeer, yeah?"

Louis's eyes dart over to Zayn who gives him a barely perceptible nod. He lets Harry lead him towards the center of the room. He stops to speak to a few people as they pass, but they're at the food and drinks table within a few minutes.

Harry grabs a bottle for himself and passes one to Louis. "You hungry?"

Louis shrugs, eyeing the table slowly.

Harry passes him a small chocolate wrapped in foil with a tiny paper shooting out the top. Louis squints to read it. "Muggles call them kisses," he tells Louis.

Louis blushes, looking up at Harry. "And you just thought you ought to give me a kiss?"

"Just a little kiss hello." Harry grins.

Louis sets his butterbeer down to unwrap the sweet.

"I am really happy you're here," Harry tells him as they move to an empty couch. "I know parties aren't really your thing."

Louis shrugs. "I'm just usually the one standing against the wall, unsure where to go or what to do." He takes a swig of butterbeer, wishing for the burn of alcohol to make his next words easier. "I figured even if I had to stand against the wall all night, I'd at least get to watch you."

Harry wraps his arm around Louis's shoulders as they get comfortable on the couch. "Wouldn't leave you in a corner, babe."

Louis's heart flutters at the endearment.

"Wanted to ask you. Could you spare a bit of time tomorrow afternoon?"

Louis frowns. "We've really got to get our potions - "

Harry smiles. "No, I know. This'll just take an hour. And we'll eat. And I promise we'll spend the rest of the day working on our potions project."

Louis chews nervously at the inside of his cheek. "An hour?"

Harry nods.

"Okay."

The Hufflepuff grins. "It's a date."

Louis smiles, looking down at his lap.

 

\---

 

"Harry, where are we going?" Louis asks again.

Harry just grins, squeezing his hand as he leads him across Hogwarts' grounds.

"Are you really going to forbid me from talking about our project? Because I think we were getting really close to - "

Harry stops, turning briefly to place a finger against Louis's lips. "Break time, love. We will get back to our project after, I promise."

Louis's quiet for a long moment. "What are we supposed to talk about?"

Harry smirks, continuing to lead Louis towards the Forbidden Forest.

"We're not - we're not going into the Forest, are we?" Louis asks, ashamed of the way the fear claws up his throat.

"Of course not," Harry replies. "Have you been in there?"

"Just once."

Harry turns, surprised. "Breaking the rules, Tomlinson? I never would've expected."

Louis rolls his eyes, pointing at himself. "Snake, remember? And we weren't exactly - well, I guess we were breaking the rules, but I was young and impressionable and - and I didn't feel like I could say 'no'."

Harry frowns. "Say 'no' to what?"

"They've stopped doing it," Louis insists. "But, back when I was a first year… They said it was a bonding experience and brought us all out here one night."

"Into the Forbidden Forest?" Harry asks, eyes widening. "The Slytherins?"

Louis nods. "We had our wands, but - well, we hadn't been at Hogwarts long enough to learn much. They left us out here and told us to find our way back."

"Lou, that's terrible."

The Slytherin shrugs. "We put a stop to it a couple years ago."

"Well, we are definitely not going into the Forest. I just found this place a few years ago and it's - well, you'll see." A few minutes later, they've climbed a hill and Louis turns to find the most stunning view of the Hogwarts grounds.

"Hazza, it's beautiful," he gasps. "How did you - " He looks around, taking in how far they've walked. "When do you have the time to walk all the way out here?"

Harry shrugs. "I take a lot of walks when it's nice out. It's a good way to find time alone."

"I didn't think you were ever alone," Louis says.

Harry smiles. "Not unless I'm all the way out here."

"I just assumed you enjoyed all the attention."

"I do. I do, but sometimes it's nice to just - be alone for a bit." Harry pulls a small bag from his pocket and proceeds to pull out a blanket and picnic basket.

"Extension charm?" Louis asks with a small smile. He takes the blanket and spreads it out on the ground.

"I know picnics are kind of cheesy, but date options are limited - "

Louis smiles, shaking his head. "I like picnics," he confesses. "And the view is beautiful."

Harry sits to unload the picnic basket, passing Louis a butterbeer. "I made a slightly illegal trip into Hogsmeade," he confesses.

"You the one that got all the butterbeer for the party last night?"

Harry nods. "I have a friend in the village."

"Of course you do," Louis laughs. "Why couldn't they get firewhiskey?"

Harry rolls his eyes. "I had more than one favor to ask for." He continues to unload the basket. "I thought you might enjoy Preymont's cookie cake."

"You hadn't even asked me out yet," Louis points out. "When you'd been getting all this yesterday."

Harry blushes. "Well, I hoped. And I figured we'd be working on our project all day regardless, so I'd just surprise you with it then if you'd said no."

"I do like Preymont's. I haven't tried their cookie cake before, though."

The Hufflepuff grins, continuing to pull food from the basket.

"How much food did you pack, Curly? This is way too much for the two of us."

Harry's eyes brighten and it takes a moment for Louis to realize why. The nickname had just slipped out.

"I brought options, Lou," Harry tells him.

"Pass me the sandwiches, please," Louis replies. "Just don't expect me to eat all of this. A sandwich and chips with the cookie cake would be plenty."

"Okay, okay, I'll put the rest away," Harry easily agrees, fixing himself a plate of food.

"I'm sorry," Louis says after a few moments.

"For what?"

"I shouldn't be complaining about all the food. I just - it was rude of me."

Harry shakes his head. "It's fine, love."

"It's just - you make me nervous," Louis whispers.

Harry scoots over so that their thighs are pressed together and bumps his shoulder. "You don't think you make me nervous?"

"You never seem nervous. Ever. For any reason. I don't think I've ever witnessed Harry Styles nervous about anything."

"Well, I really like you," Harry tells him. "And you might be the first time I've ever really been this nervous."

"And what do you do about it?"

"About being nervous?"

Louis nods, taking a sip of butterbeer.

"Well, I changed my shirt about twenty times this morning before breakfast because I knew I'd be seeing you. And I spent twenty minutes trying to make my hair look like I hadn't tried to make it look good. And then once I see you, I usually just - " Green eyes lock with blue. "I just - hope I haven't said anything stupid. And then you smile - like that. And the butterflies just settle and I focus on getting you to smile again." He slips a chocolate kiss into Louis's hand.

Louis chuckles when he sees what it is. "And when do I get a proper kiss?" he asks before he can stop himself.

Harry smiles down at the foil wrapped candy. "I didn't - I don't - want to rush you." He looks up to find Louis watching him. Before he has a chance to react, Louis leans in and presses their lips together. It's quick and brief and it still sends fireworks shooting across Louis's brain.

They're silent for several long moments, just watching each other.

"That was my first kiss," Louis whispers.

Harry's eyes darken. "Yeah?"

Louis nods.

 

\---

 

"No, I think we need to have three parts Felix to two parts Amortentia," Harry replies. "It needs to be more lucky and enhancing of one's own personality and abilities than it is… obsession and infatuation."

Louis frowns. "Maybe we should try two-to-one? Or even three-to-one?"

"Might ought to test all of those, yeah."

"And I think we should have straight Felix for some of our tests. Along with one that's a placebo." Louis scribbles a few more notes onto the parchment.

"What about Amortentia?"

Louis shakes his head. "Amortentia is skeevy enough as it is. We're attempting to dial it back, but I don't think we should be unknowingly exposing anyone to it. And I don't think anyone would agree to the tests if they knew there was a chance of getting the full-strength Amortentia."

Harry opens one of the many books they have piled between them. "Okay, what else did we need to look up?"

Louis consults their notes, marking through a couple items. "Keep an eye out for side-effects of either Amortentia or Felix. And we wanted to look into any other love potions that may exist. Amortentia is the most commonly known, but surely there have been other attempts at a love potion?"

"Everybody wants to be in love," Harry agrees. "Although, whoever invented Amortentia… "

"I don't think there's a single Potion Master credited with it's invention," Louis points out.

"Still. Love isn't love if it isn't a choice."

"No worries that you'll ever be dosing anyone, then?" Louis smirks, blue eyes twinkling.

Harry grins. "Haven't needed to, have I? Been getting by on my charms alone."

Louis rolls his eyes. "Charms. Yeah, let's go with that."

They both settle into reading for the next hour, scratching notes and commenting on their texts. Neither of them realize how late it's gotten until Madam Pomfrey comes over to usher them out of the library. Louis insists on taking one of the books with him - "Lou, we'll be back in the morning." "I know, but if I can't sleep anyways, I might as well be working on this." - and Harry walks him back to the dungeons.

They stop at the bit of 'wall' that leads to the Slytherin common room.

"I guess I'll - " Harry starts at the same time as Louis asks, "Did you want to come in?"

"Oh. I - yeah. Sure. I guess I've got a few minutes until curfew," Harry agrees.

"Weaselbee," Louis tells the wall before pulling Harry through. "Help me take these to my room."

Harry easily agrees, waving to a few Slytherins he knows as they dodge tables and chairs and couches on their way through the room. There are hallways off the common room and Louis leads him to the one at the back left. "I wasn't sure other houses came into your common room," Harry comments.

Louis shrugs. "Not very often," he admits. "But you're - I mean, I - " He stumbles over the words. "I'm right up here," he settles on, gesturing at the door to the right where plaque hung: 'sixth year boys'.

Harry follows him into the dormitory, pleased to find that the room is almost exactly like his dormitory in Hufflepuff. There are eight beds in his room versus the five circling this one, though. "I'm what?" he asks as soon as he sees they're alone.

Louis blushes. "Um, I was hoping, um."

Harry lifts one eyebrow at him, waiting.

"That is - I was hoping that you'd want to be my boyfriend. Like, officially, or whatever? Because people have been…"

"Calling me your boyfriend?"

"Well, more calling me your boyfriend." Louis curses the way his cheeks continue to flush.

Harry steps into his space, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him into a hug. "I'd be very happy to call you my boyfriend, Lou."

Louis sighs, relieved and enjoying Harry being so close. "Good. That's - that's good."

Harry smiles, pressing a kiss to his hair. "Were you actually worried I'd say no?"

Louis shivers. "Just a little."

Harry pulls back to look into Louis's eyes. "In no universe would I have said 'no', babe."

Louis's eyes crinkle in that way that Harry knows only happens when he's ridiculously happy. Harry kisses him and then rubs their noses together in an Eskimo kiss, making Louis giggle.

"Can you squeeze some time for a date tomorrow?" Harry asks.

"It's not a Hogsmeade weekend," Louis reminds him.

"That doesn't mean I can't get into Hogsmeade," Harry reminds him.

"But I'm not going to risk it."

Harry's lips curve up. "I know that, love. Do you have the time for a date or not?"

"If we get our research done before lunch, I should have a free hour or so after lunch. I've got to get a few hours in to work on Transfiguration, though. I promised Professor McGonagall I'd tutor some first years this weekend, too."

Harry shakes his head. "Are you sure you have time for that?"

Louis presses a kiss to his nose. "You've seen my planner. I have carved out the time for it. Everything's been rearranged to accommodate them. It's only til the end of the term. And it's only a couple hours a week."

"Model student, you are."

"I am," Louis agrees, glancing down at his watch. "Now, you've got ten minutes to make it back to your common room before curfew."

Harry leans in for another kiss. "It's only a seven minute walk."

Louis hums. "And what do you propose we do for three whole minutes?"

Harry chuckles, hand sliding around to cup the back of Louis's head as he kisses him again. His tongue slides over the seam of Louis's lips and then he's curling his tongue around Louis's. Louis's hands slide around Harry's waist and down to squeeze his ass, pressing them closer together. He can feel Harry's soft cock through his robes and can't help rubbing his thigh up against it. There were so many benefits of being almost the same height.

Harry nibbles at Louis's bottom lip a moment before releasing his mouth as he moans. "Fuck, Lou."

Louis snickers, pleased at the way he can affect the other boy. "What're you gonna do about it?" he snarks.

Harry leans in for another kiss, but this time his hand fumbles with the front of Louis's robe, slipping inside just enough to run his fingers up and down the happy trail leading to his boxers.

Louis whimpers as Harry's fingers tease at the waistband of his boxers a moment before his fingernails scrape their way up to the bottom of his ribs and then back down. "Hazza," he pleads.

Harry shakes his head as their lips meet again.

Louis pulls himself away as his wand vibrates, warning him of the time. "That's it, baby, you've got to go."

Harry's eyes are wide and dark at his words. He'd never heard Louis call him 'baby' before and it was equally making him want to drop to his knees and press Louis against the nearest hard surface to kiss him senseless.

Louis shakes his head, pushing him towards the door and out. "You've got to go," he says again. "Curfew. Don't get caught. Better off, don't be late."

"I'll see you at breakfast?" Harry asks.

Louis blushes and nods, all his confidence of a few moments ago lost once again.

Harry presses a final kiss to his lips and rushes out of the room.

 

\---

 

"And how will you determine a control group?" Professor Malfoy asks.

"Random selection," Louis promptly replies. "Twenty percent of our volunteers will be given a placebo in place of the potion without being told."

"How many volunteers do you expect to acquire?"

"Our friends have all agreed to the experiment," Harry says. "We hope to get fifty volunteers, including professors and students of age."

"Are all of your friends of age?"

"Not quite," Harry admits. "But we planned to get parental and faculty permission for any sixteen-year-olds that might want to participate."

Professor Malfoy nods. "And what do you expect to happen?"

"We are attempting to create a potion to soothe first-date nerves. It will create a sense of fascination between each partner, allow conversation to flow easily, and eliminate some if not all of the anxiety involved."

"Will you two be participating in the testing?"

Harry shakes his head. "Not in the general testing, no, but we do plan to test it on ourselves under supervision before we allow others to try it."

"And you'll include your own results in the final report?"

"We don't intend to," Louis replies. "We - uh, we're already in a relationship, so we're mainly testing it on ourselves just to be sure there aren't any major side-effects before allowing others to try it."

Professor Malfoy nods, studying the parchment in front of him for a long moment. "I am interested to see how this turns out," he admits. "You'll have to have some faculty supervision over the testing, but I'll speak with the Headmistress. I think she'll agree to your plans. I think Professor Potter and I should be able to oversee the experiment. We'll plan for two weeks from Saturday? That should give you time to recruit your volunteers." He shuffles the papers around and studies another sheet. "Your consent form seems to cover all the bases, but I'll have this approved by the Headmistress before we start having them signed." He pauses a moment and then looks up at them. "Any questions?"

"Is it okay for us to test the potion on ourselves this weekend? Or do we need to wait for approval for that as well?" Harry asks.

"Where do you plan on doing your test?" the potions professor asks.

"Gryffindor Tower," Harry replies.

Malfoy frowns. "Neither of you are members of Gryffindor."

Harry smirks. "Our friend, Liam, is and he's agreed to oversee the experiment. Just in case anything untoward happens."

"We also have a couple different options that we'd like to test," Louis adds. "So we need a bit of time to decide which appears to be safer and achieves the desired effect."

"Alright. You'll need to allow Madam Pomfrey samples of each - just in case anything happens. She'll be better prepared for adverse reactions if she has the original potions on hand. And you'll need more than one friend present while you test. And I expect to be informed of when these tests are happening, so that I can be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances."

"Okay, we'll get samples to the hospital wing and I've got to check with Liam about when he'll be available, but we can let you know as soon as we do." Harry turns to Louis. "You think Zee would sit in, too?"

Louis rolls his eyes. "Probably. Could we get a classroom to test in?"

Malfoy nods. "I can arrange that."

"Thank you."

"Anything else?" the professor asks, glancing at the clock.

Louis and Harry exchange a quick look. "No, I think that's it."

 

\---

 

Louis lays back in the grass, unsurprised when Harry curls into his side. "Nap time?"

Harry nods against his chest. "You could use it, too. I know you haven't been sleeping well."

Louis quirks an eyebrow, even though Harry can't see it. "How would you know that?"

"You've been glamouring away the circles under your eyes. And you've been tense." He slips a hand under the hem of Louis's shirt, tracing circles at the skin there.

"I'm fine," Louis insists.

"Is it the experiment? Because I think we've done all we can to prepare."

"We have, yeah," he easily agrees, combing Harry's hair with his fingers.

"Are you nervous to try it out?" Harry asks.

Louis shrugs. "A bit."

"We're already together," Harry reminds him. "I already know you want to kiss me silly all the time. I don't think the potion's going to change that."

Louis huffs out a laugh. "I know that."

"And Liam and Zayn will be there. They know to stop us if things get too heated."

"I know, I know. We already warned them that it may rapidly increase our desire for each other and cause us to do things we aren't ready for."

"It may make us horny and have me begging to ride your cock, you mean?" Harry snarks.

Louis tugs his hair in retaliation. "Oh, hush." He tries to ignore the tight feeling in his stomach.

"We'll probably just be gushy and snog a lot. It'll be fine. But really, what's been keeping you up?"

"Transfiguration project. I hate group projects."

Harry grins. "If you hadn't been forced to have a potions partner, it would've taken me a hell of a lot longer to charm you."

"Well, you do your share of the work."

"That I do. Who are you stuck with in Transfiguration?"

"Taylor, Jonathan, and Christine. I can't get them all to show up at the same time to discuss anything. It's a big part of our grade and we have to be able to perform the spells together next week."

"Well, I can talk to Taylor - "

"No. I don't want you getting involved. They'll just think I whined to my pretty boy boyfriend and got him to take care of it for me."

Harry sits up to frown down at him. "They should be doing their work, Lou. If they knew how much it was stressing you out, they'd make more of an effort to show up. Taylor's a bit of a slack-off, but she's not stupid. And she's not the type to make anyone suffer on her account."

"Oh, I forgot. You've dated everyone in my group, haven't you? Except Jon's straight, so I guess not him." Louis sits up, angry. "This isn't for you to fix and I don't need you going to have little chats with your ex's on my behalf."

"Taylor and I went on one date when we were fourteen," Harry snaps. "And she's just a friend - "

"Who is desperately in like with you, Harry. Everyone knows she's been trying to get you since then."

"And Christine and I only dated briefly last year."

"I don't want you involved," Louis repeats, frustrated. "I don't want them to think I can't handle it."

"I was just trying to help, Lou."

"Well, I don't want your help, Harry. This is why I wasn't even going to tell you, but you asked and asked and I finally thought 'well, maybe it'll be good to rant a bit' and briefly forgot that you want to fix everything in my life."

"What's so bad about that?" Harry exclaims.

Louis growls, standing and grabbing his bag to fling it over his shoulder in his retreat.

"Lou!" Harry's quick to follow him. "Are we seriously fighting about this?"

Louis doesn't reply, just continues across the lawn to the castle.

 

\---

 

"I'm sorry," Harry whispers, sliding into bed next to Louis.

Louis squints at him in the dark. "What're you doing here?" He'd been about to fall asleep before the Hufflepuff had appeared.

Harry leans in to kiss his cheek. "Apologizing."

"It's after curfew," Louis hisses, mindful of the listening ears around them.

"Silencing charm is already up, love."

Louis squirms away from him. "I'm still mad at you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was trying to help," he insists. "But I talked to Zee and - "

"You talked to Zayn?"

Harry nods. "He kind of explained - although if I'd been listening better, I would've heard it when you told me. You just wanted somebody to listen and I wanted to take action and fix it and - that's not what you wanted. Not what you needed at that moment."

"And Zayn explained all that?"

Harry blushes slightly. "Well, first he told me I was an idiot and didn't deserve you."

A small smile crosses Louis's lips.

"Anyways, I am really sorry, darling."

"And you thought sneaking into my bed past curfew was the best time to apologize?"

Harry scoots towards him, reaching for Louis's hand to curl their fingers together. "I didn't want to go to bed angry." He grins.

Louis fights back a smile. "I'm pretty sure that's only a rule if you're married."

"Practice is always good, though." He nuzzles into Louis's shoulder. "Am I forgiven? Do I need to continue to plead my case?"

"You're forgiven," Louis concedes.

"Plus, we're supposed to test the potion on ourselves tomorrow and I don't think we should be angry with each other when we take it."

"It probably would've led you right back into my good graces," Louis replies. "It is supposed to help people get along well."

"I don't want to blame a potion on my ability to charm you." Harry curls around Louis's side, arm stretched across his bare stomach and leg sliding in between Louis's.

Louis stiffens in his hold. "Are you staying?"

"Only if that's okay," Harry replies. "I wanted a cuddle." He presses his cold toes to the back of Louis's leg, causing the other boy to jump.

"You shouldn't wander the castle without socks," Louis hisses.

"It's colder down here than it is in my room," Harry replies. "We're right next to the kitchens. It's cozy."

"Maybe you should go back if you think it's cozier there."

Harry shakes his head. "Wanna cuddle with you."

Louis shifts them around until he's laying on Harry's chest with his arm draped across his chest.

"That mean I can stay?"

"Just a cuddle. And sleep."

Harry smiles, wrapping his arm around Louis before kissing his head. "Night, love."

 

\---

 

"You sure about this?" Zayn asks, offering Louis the vial of potion.

"We can't test it on other people when we haven't tested it on ourselves," Louis replies, taking the vial. He turns to Harry and they swap vials. "You ready?"

Harry nods and they clink their vials together before downing the potion together.

"How long should it take to kick in?" Liam asks.

Louis shrugs. "Should be instantaneous."

"Feel any different?" Harry studies his boyfriend carefully.

Louis observes Harry just as closely. "What do you expect me to say? You have beautiful green eyes?"

Harry smirks. "You could start there."

"I don't think I feel anything," Louis admits.

"Maybe because they're already infatuated with each other," Zayn comments to Liam.

"Jealous?" Harry wiggles his eyebrows at him.

"We'll be - over here," Liam mutters, pulling Zayn across the room to a couch he'd transfigured upon their arrival. Professor Malfoy had reserved an empty classroom for their experiment. It was full of dusty desks and chairs, but the sixth year boys had easily transformed a few things and done some cursory cleaning spells.

"Have you volunteered to partake in the big experiment?" Zayn asks him.

Louis watches them for a few long moments before he feels Harry's arms wrap around him from behind.

"I think this is the perfect excuse to just snog for an hour or so," Harry murmurs, lips brushing the curve of his ear.

Louis leans back into Harry's hold. "Do you really need the excuse?"

"No, but you do. If this weren't a part of the experiment, you'd be doing some other homework. I'm lucky to get you to snog for ten minutes."

"Oh, is that the potion talking? Because if so, I don't think it's working." Louis chuckles.

"Maybe I'm just already too charming on my own." He starts swaying and Louis feels light and happy in his arms.

"I think it's kicking in," Louis admits. "It feels…a bit like butterbeer."

Harry hums. "Warm and happy and light?"

Louis nods.

There's a long pause as they continue to sway in place. "I expected more, uh…"

"Sexual appetite?" Louis asks, smirking.

Harry nuzzles his neck. "You were worried about the same thing."

"Maybe last night has skewed our results," Louis offers.

"Hm?"

"I mean, it's supposed to kind of make us know what the other wants, right? And after last night, I definitely wanted more time with you - just cuddling and being close."

Harry nods. "Me, too. I can't remember the last time I slept so well. And getting to wake up next to you? The best."

Louis turns in his arms, pressing their lips together for a brief moment. "I liked getting to see you first thing. Nice to see you a little rough around the edges."

"I'm always a little rough around the edges."

Louis chuckles. "No, you always look perfectly put together unless we've just snogged. And even then, I like it because I know I'm the one that did it." He reaches up to run his fingers through Harry's curls. "These curls always look perfectly tousled."

Harry leans in and nips at his lips before kissing him. Louis smiles into the kiss, both of them perfectly happy to keep it chaste. "How are we supposed to give these people any warning of what this may do to them?" Harry chuckles. "We're just happy. What are we going to say? May cause euphoria?"

"Well, it's definitely not an aphrodisiac for us."

"Which one is this?"

Louis quirks an eyebrow at him. "We don't know, remember? We told Zayn and Liam to decide what order to give us them in. I would suspect this to be the one-to-one ratio."

"I feel lucky all the time and I'm already half in love with you, so I'm not sure either potion could have an effect on me," Harry admits.

Louis blushes, grinning. "Really?"

"Really what?"

"Half in love with me?"

Harry presses his lips to Louis's forehead. "Maybe more like three-quarters of the way in love with you."

"I'll take that." Louis kisses him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. "Me too."

Harry Eskimo kisses him with a giggle. Louis pulls him into another proper kiss and they let this one get away from them. Tongues curling together and hands wandering, they get lost in the feel of one another for a time. Louis feels Harry's thumb tracing circles against the bare skin of his hip and he tugs at Harry's hair, pleased to cause a little whimper to slip from Harry's lips. His lips move down to Louis's neck, sucking a mark into the skin there before tracing his collarbones with his tongue. Louis silently praises himself for his choice of a v-neck for the evening. He feels warm and safe with Harry pressed against him. It feels like home, he suddenly thinks and gasps, wondering when he'd started thinking of a person as home instead of a place.

Harry kisses a path up to the curve of his neck. "Okay?" he whispers.

Louis smiles. Nods.

Harry brings their lips together again, savoring the feel of Louis's tongue against him for a long moment before he pulls away. He knows Louis isn't ready for more and especially will not want anything more to be happening in front of their friends. "We should stop," he sighs.

Louis kisses his cheek. "Probably."

"How much longer?" Harry calls across the room to their friends.

"Thirty minutes," Liam promptly replies.

Harry pulls Louis over to a couch opposite Liam and Zayn, settling Louis in his lap and wrapping his arms around the other man. "I feel like we maybe should've made this into more of a date."

Louis curls into his lap, head against Harry's chest. "We didn't want to be distracted from the effects of the potion."

"But our volunteers will be going on dates, of sorts."

"They'll also not be in relationships and their dates will be chosen at random," Louis adds. "Both the person and the location/activity will all be essentially the same."

"We could've done that, too. The same date, I mean. Picnic by the lake, isn't it?" Harry grumbles.

Louis smiles. "We don't want other people around in case something goes wrong," he reminds Harry.

"Or very very right," Harry mutters, hand sliding back to squeeze Louis's arse.

"Hush, you. We aren't going to be doing anything influenced by a potion because - "

"It will taint our memory of it, yes, I know. I just don't want you doubting that I want some of this." He squeezes again.

Louis pulls his hand away, placing it back on his stomach. "And I don't want to be rushed."

"You should come over at Christmas hols," Harry suddenly says. "Meet my mum and my sister."

Louis smiles, the elated feeling in his chest lifting even more. "I'd love to. You should come to mine, as well. Meet my mum. You've already met Lottie, I'm sure. She's around. And the twins. But you could meet my mum and Mark."

"I've never invited anyone home before," Harry confesses. "I mean - I've invited friends but not - not a boyfriend."

"Or a girlfriend?" Louis inquires, knowing Harry has dated several girls before.

Harry shakes his head. "I know it's only been a couple months - I mean, only a few weeks since we were official, but… this is much more serious for me. You mean much more to me."

Louis sits up to press a kiss to his lips before returning to his position against Harry's chest. "You mean a lot to me, too, baby."

The endearment punches Harry in the gut. It always does - takes his breath away because Louis doesn't say it very often. It's still special, coveted.

"Okay, is it the potion getting us to talk like this or is it just a conversation that's been coming and now we're alone - almost alone - for long enough for it to take place?" Louis asks after a long moment. "Because I both feel like this is all stuff I would say to you anyways and also feel like I am saying it much more eloquently than I would under normal circumstances."

Harry snickers. "Think you're being eloquent, huh?"

Louis smacks his chest, faux-offended. "You know what I mean. I usually - stutter over my words when I'm trying to be serious and emotional with you."

He kisses Louis's head. "I know, babe. I think it might be Felix helping both of us out."

"How's it helping you?"

"I asked you to come for Christmas, didn't I? Been wanting to do that for a bit."

Louis hums, closing his eyes and sinking into the feeling of being held by his boyfriend.

"I think it's cute when you get nervous," Harry continues. "And it always assures me that whatever you're saying is important. Reminds me that you think I'm important."

"You are important," Louis mumbles.

 

\---

 

"How did the first test go?" Professor Malfoy asks.

Louis cheeks brighten and Harry grins.

"I'm not sure we felt much of an effect, Professor."

"Oh?"

"Well, we're already in a relationship… We're already infatuated with each other, as our friends said. So the infatuated side of the potion couldn't really effect us much. And the lucky side… Well, it gave us each a bit of a confidence boost, I suppose."

"I think it felt like the same effects as butterbeer," Louis says. "Warm, light, happy. All of that with a healthy does of confidence."

"And you still think it will have a different effect on people not in a relationship?"

Louis nods, confident. "Infatuation mixed with a little confidence is what anyone would need on a first date, I'd think."

Malfoy smirks. "I suppose so, Mr. Tomlinson."

 

\---

 

"Test number two," Harry says, lifting the vial up to knock it against the one he'd handed Louis.

Louis grins. "Test number two."

They down it and both shiver. Liam and Zayn stand nearby, watching with a certain amount of concern.

"Start the timer, boys," Harry tells his friends.

"You feeling it?" Louis asks.

Harry grins and nods. "Feels good."

Louis giggles. "Feels like a fucking high."

Harry gasps dramatically. "Louis Tomlinson, are you telling me you know what it feels like to be high?"

He points at Zayn. "He made me do it."

Zayn exchanges a look with Liam. "I think this time they might require a bit more handling."

"Handling," Harry giggles. "Like a Chinese hand. Hand Ling."

Louis wanders towards Zayn and Liam. "Zaaaaayyyyn, you should've saved some for yourself. And Liam. Liam's nice, isn't he? Liam's the best. No Harry's the best and then you, but then Liam. Liam's the third best. Did you save any for yourself. I want you to be happy Zayn. I want you to be as happy as me and Harry. I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy."

Harry happily twirls in the center of the room. He reaches for his wand, disappointed to find it missing. "Liam, I've lost my wand."

"We took your wands away," Liam gently reminds him. "Just for the experiment."

"Liam, I just wanted to conjure some birdies. Have you ever seen those muggle fairy tales where the princesses talk to birds? I want to see if I'm a pretty princess, Liam. Will you conjure me some birds?"

"Harry, you don't need birds."

"But Liam, how am I to know if I'm a pretty pretty princess?"

"Harry!" Louis exclaims. "Of course you're the prettiest pretty princess." He skips across the room to jump into Harry's arms, wrapping his legs around Harry's waist. "The prettiest pretty princess."

"Lou, you disappeared, where did you go? I thought you'd left."

"I'd never leave you."

"But you were gone."

"You are the prettiest."

"No, Lou, you are."

They exchange a sappy look and kiss. Liam and Zayn move closer together, unsure how to handle the couple.

"Your eyes are so pretty. Like a green green green green green alligator! NO! Are alligators green? Or is it crocodiles? How do you know if it's an alligator or a crocodile? What if it attacks you? Are you supposed to run?"

Harry giggles. "You couldn't outrun a crocodile."

Louis pushes until Harry puts him back down and then crosses his arms. "Zayn, Harry's being mean."

Harry sweeps Louis off his feet and throws him over one shoulder into a fireman's carry. He proceeds to sprint for the door. Liam jumps to his feet, prepared to stop them, despite knowing they'd spelled the door locked before starting.

Harry tries to reason with the door. Louis giggles and wandlessly casts Alohomora, waving his hand at the door. The door swings open and Harry takes off down the hall.

"Why didn't you stun him?!" Zayn exclaims as he and Liam chase after them.

"He's carrying Louis! He would've dropped him."

"That's why you stun both of them!"

"He still could've gotten hurt!"

Harry giggles as he sprints down the hall. "Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

Louis slaps his arse. "Giddy up, horsey!"

Just as Zayn's about to thank the heavens that the hall is empty, Harry breaks up a group of fifth years. He runs straight through them, one of them almost falling in her haste to remove herself from his path.

Harry continues to giggle and Zayn apologize as profusely as he can without pausing in his pursuit. "Harry," he calls.

Liam's quicker with his wand this time, making Harry's feet stick to the floor in his next couple steps. He comes to an abrupt halt as Louis continues to yell, "Giddy up, horsey!"

Harry frowns down at his feet. "Louuu."

"Go! Go! Go!" Louis chants, oblivious to Harry's problem.

Liam and Zayn catch up to them, Zayn pulling Louis from Harry's arms before marching him back towards the classroom. He nonverbally cuffs their hands together so that Louis can't get away from him again, barely glancing back to see Liam doing the same.

"But Zayn, I wanted a biscuit."

"There're biscuits back in the classroom, Lou."

"I don't want your biscuits. I want Harry's."

Zayn can't help the appalled look that crosses his face. He can't decide what Louis's saying and he's not sure he wants to know if biscuits really means biscuits. "Harry's coming back, too, love."

Louis starts skipping, forcing Zayn to keep an awkward pace next to him. Zayn's grateful to see the classroom door and shove Louis inside of it. Unfortunately, Liam hadn't had quite the same luck with Harry.

"Harry," Louis calls out towards the door, tugging Zayn back to the hallway. "Harry! Pretty princess, come back to me."

Zayn snorts and Louis turns on him with a glare.

"Harry is the pretty princess, Zayn. There isn't another and you said he'd be here."

Zayn tugs Louis back into the room, dragging him over to a couch. Their hands are still cuffed since Zayn can't release him until the door is shut and locked again.

"Zayn, I can't hold your hand. I'm with Harry. Harry's mine. And I can't hold your hand."

Zayn rolls his eyes.

 

\---

 

Louis groans, pressing his face into Harry's chest to block out the light.

"Can you get hungover from a potion?" Harry murmurs.

"It hasn't been thoroughly tested." The words are muffled as Louis refused to move his face away from Harry's chest.

"I'll take that as a yes." He groans, arm coming up to cover his eyes. It's early morning and he can hear his fellow Hufflepuffs shuffling around, getting ready. The silencing charms keep them from hearing Harry and Louis in his bed, but it doesn't keep them from whipping his curtains open a moment later.

"Breakfast!" Dunbar cheerfully announces. "Oh, shit. Sorry, mate." He whisks the curtains closed again as he spots Louis. "Didn't realize you had company!"

Harry doesn't even have the energy to take down the silencing charm to curse him out.

"We have class in an hour!" Donovan reminds them just before they all shuffle out of the room.

Harry drifts off, lightly dozing for an unknown amount of time until Louis's wand starts beepbeepbeeping incessantly. "What the - "

Louis groans and blindly searches under the pillow for it, finally making the sound stop after a few long moments.

"What was that?"

"My alarm," Louis sighs. "I have to get up. I can't miss class… I don't even have time to go back to mine to change."

"Wear something of mine," Harry assures him.

Louis slowly sits up and groans again. "Fuck. We can't give anyone whatever dosage that was," he says, referring to their second test potion. "I don't even remember what happened. Why are we in your room?"

Harry mumbles something incomprehensible.

"It's potions this morning. Maybe Malfoy'll have something to help us out."

 

Twenty minutes later, they stumble into their seats in the Potions Lab, immediately leaning over to press their heads to the desk.

"Fun night, boys?" Malfoy asks.

Zayn nudges Louis's shoulder and offers him a stack of toast he'd swiped from breakfast.

"I love you," Louis murmurs, passing a piece to Harry.

Zayn chuckles. "Sir, their test last night didn't go so well."

"So I've heard."

Zayn blushes. "Yes, we briefly lost control of them. It was both of ours' fault."

"How do you feel, boys?" the Potions professor asks.

Harry moans. "Like I had a very fun night that I can't remember. Are you sure we didn't drink anything?"

Zayn shakes his head at the professor's cursory look. "Water and pumpkin juice. No alcohol. Just the potion."

"You can take your seat, Mr. Malik." Professor Malfoy steps away for a moment, returning with a tiny vial of something pink. "In the name of research, I'll allow you a couple drops of my own hangover remedy, since that appears closest to what you're feeling."

 

\---

 

"If that's the three-to-one ratio, we aren't testing it," Louis insists. "If test two was - "

"You can't compromise the experiment, Louis," Zayn reminds him. "You and Harry both made me and Liam promise not to tell you which potion was which so that the results couldn't be swayed by your own assumptions."

Harry pouts up at them both. "I don't want a repeat of the other night."

"Different potion. Different results," Liam adds.

"Did you lock the door?" Louis asks.

"It's spelled to only open for me and Liam," Zayn promises. "No Alohomoras this time."

"And you - "

"Silencing charm, yes."

"What about - "

"The house elves sent up dinner. Which we will all eat after you've taken the potion."

Louis sighs. "Okay. Fine."

Zayn chuckles, gesturing to the remaining two vials of potion.

Louis and Harry each take one and then swap. "Test three," Harry offers as a toast. "May it be better than test two."

"Better than test two," Louis agrees, clinking their vials together before they both empty them down their throats.

Harry takes a steadying breath at the same time as Louis shivers.

"Harry," Louis murmurs.

He hums in response, pulling Louis closer as he settles his hands at his waist. Louis slips his arms up to Harry's shoulders, one hand sliding into his curls.

"This doesn't seem so bad," he whispers. Harry's lips remind him of the lollipops he'd eaten as a child, cherry or strawberry or watermelon. He'd always wanted red ones, no matter the flavor. He wants to taste Harry's lips now. He wants to see if they taste like they usually do - a mix of minty toothpaste and sweat and Harry. He leans in to drag his tongue across the seam of his lips and Harry opens for him, easily. Harry sucks on his tongue like Louis's the lollipop and he's suddenly hard and wanting Harry's mouth on his cock. His mind is flooded with the image of Harry's curly head bobbing between his legs, his tongue teasing his cock, his eyes never leaving Louis's.

He clings to him, pulling him closer. He aligns their hips and he can feel Harry's erection pressing against his through the layers of pants and jeans and robes. Harry's teeth scrape his tongue and Louis starts to pull Harry's robe off.

And then he's suddenly across the room, breathing heavily and much too far from Harry for his liking. Zayn's striding towards him and Louis can hear Harry cursing Liam across the room. He tries to stand to go to him, but he's trapped. He can't get off of the couch he's been flung onto.

"Zayn."

"Louis, you can't. It's the potion."

"He tastes so good, Zayn, I just want a taste."

"Louis, it'll wear off soon." Zayn stands just out of his reach. Louis idly thinks it's a wise decision because he wants to hit him right now.

"Harry," he pleads.

"Lou, babe, I'm sorry," Harry apologizes from across the room. Liam's trapped him on the opposite couch and he stands, ready with his wand for any sudden breakthrough. "I want you. I want you so much."

Louis's eyes fill with tears. "I want you, too, baby."

Harry curses. "Don't cry, love. Don't cry. They don't understand." He struggles against Liam's confines. "I'll take care of you. What do you need? Tell me what you want, Lou."

"Want you, Harry. Want your mouth." Louis tries to take down Zayn's spell without any success. "Want to feel you, baby."

"Bet you taste so good."

"Oh-kay," Zayn mutters before casting a silencing spell. "That's enough of that." He can see Louis's mouth moving but no longer hear the filthy words he's trying to tell Harry.

"Zayn!" Harry exclaims. "You can't - you can't - "

He waves his wand and silences Harry as well.

"You think that's a good idea?" Liam asks, keeping one eye on Harry as he talks to Zayn.

"For my sanity? Yeah. I don't need to hear these two's plans for each other."

"It's the potion talking, though, right?"

Zayn shrugs.

"I wouldn't expect Louis to - "

Zayn frowns. "To what? Want his boyfriend?"

"No, no. I just - didn't expect him to talk dirty, I guess. He's always so… put together. Less so with Harry, but still. He doesn't seem very comfortable with PDA."

"Just because he doesn't like kissing in front of everyone doesn't mean he doesn't like kissing or sex or talking about sex."

"I didn't think they had…" Liam gestures, vaguely.

"They haven't."

Louis and Harry are both glaring at them, infuriated that they'd both thought to make the silencing charms go both ways. No one could hear them and they couldn't hear Zayn or Liam either. It wasn't the safest charm usually, but with both boys watching so closely, nothing bad was likely to happen.

"You think they'll remember this tomorrow?"

 

\---

 

"Okay, so the three-to-one ratio is a definite no-go."

"Why is that?" Professor Malfoy queries.

"Primary reason is that we couldn't remember anything afterwards. It also lasted longer than anticipated. So there's about four or five hours of an evening that Harry and I can't really remember."

Zayn chuckles. "And it gave them a hangover, basically."

Harry nods. "We don't want that, either. It didn't seem to act as an aid to getting to know each other at all. From what Liam and Zayn said, we were just acting ridiculous."

The potions professor nods. "And the other two?"

"Two-to-one barely affected us, but we're in a relationship already. We're hoping that one will act as a stimulant for conversation and reduce any anxiety." Louis gestures for Harry to tackle telling the professor the other one.

"And the one-to-one ratio led to us being forcefully separated so that we didn't do anything we wouldn't normally have agreed to do. It acted more as a sexual stimulant, but we don't know if that will be the case with other people, necessarily."

Professor Malfoy smirks. "The headmistress has decided that some of the faculty need to test your potions before it's administered to any students - of-age or no. I will pass along your findings to her and I'll let you know in class Monday whether you're approved to continue the test next weekend."

"And you'll let us know of the results? Or could we - " Louis starts.

"I will let you know of the results, but no, you may not be present for the test. Considering what you've just said it does, we wouldn't want you seeing faculty members acting in such a way."

Louis's cheeks pinken. "Right. Yeah. Thank you, Professor."

 

\---

 

Harry's tongue traces the dip of Louis's collarbones as Louis pants above him. He gently thrusts his hips down against him as he nibbles at Louis's flesh.

"H-Harry?"

Harry hums, not wanting to cease his ministrations.

Louis thrusts up against him, fingers scratching and tugging at Harry's curls. "Fuck."

Harry reaches down and gently unbuttons Louis's jeans. He hesitates a long moment, tracing a question mark to Louis's tummy.

"Please."

He slides his hand into Louis's pants, fingers wrapping around his long length as his mouth continues its assault on Louis's neck. Harry's barely gotten his fingers properly wrapped around Louis's cock and he's coming with a hissed exclamation of Harry's name.

Harry smiles into his neck, gently settling down next to him as Louis catches his breath.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I - "

Harry stops him with a shake of his head. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

Louis turns towards him, pressing their lips together. "D'you want me to…" He reaches for Harry's cock - still trapped inside his pants.

Harry shakes his head again. "Only if you want to," he murmurs.

Louis hesitates a fraction of second. "I've never…" He fumbles with the button and zipper.

Harry grins. "I know, babe." He breaks off into a groan as Louis's fingers brush against him.

Louis leans in and kisses the corner of his mouth before turning his attention to Harry's cock. He pulls it out of its confines and mutters a spell under his breath. Harry barely even notices his other hand against the wand in his pocket. Louis's fingers are suddenly coated in a slick substance that Harry assumes is lube as they wrap around his shaft. It takes Louis a moment to readjust to the angle - he's only done this to himself before. Harry's ridiculously turned on just by the sight of Louis's perfect hand wrapped around his cock that it doesn't take much. Louis twists his wrist and thumbs at the head of his cock and Harry curses, coming all over Louis's hand.

Louis kisses him again as he catches his breath. "Beautiful, baby." Harry's participated in lots of exchanged orgasms, but he's never felt so close to someone after. He can't imagine how close they'll feel when Louis works up to fucking him. His breath catches and he kisses Louis again.

"I love you. Fuck, I love you so much." He presses the words into his lips, his jaw, his neck, his beloved collarbones. He wants to kiss them into Louis's very being. Make it so he can never doubt or forget how much he is loved.

Louis giggles. "God, you're such a fucking cliché." But then he's kissing him back, whispering the words back to him. He clings to Harry and thanks Salazar that such a perfect man could ever love him.

He thrusts up against Harry, hard again. Harry makes him straddle his waist, wants to feel Louis on top of him, wants to feel Louis collapse into him. He wraps his hand around both of their cocks and Louis gasps and then moans and then thrusts down against Harry's cock. And it is bliss. The slide and the friction and the sight of Louis falling apart above him is too much and Harry's shooting his load, moaning Louis's name.

Harry's cum slides between them and Louis follows a moment later, overwhelmed by this man and all of the feelings he's invoking in him. He didn't know it could be like this - he doesn't think it could possibly be like this with anyone else. He's collapsed against Harry's chest, the mess between them quickly charmed away as Harry waves his wand.

"I do love you," he murmurs into Louis's hair. "Merlin, like so fucking much."

Louis smiles, pressing a kiss to his chest. It's slightly absurd that they're both still clothed. He's felt Harry's cum against him but hasn't seen him naked yet. "I love you, too, baby. So much."

Harry's silent for long enough that Louis thinks he's fallen asleep. He starts to roll off of him, tuck himself into Harry's side like usual, when Harry stops him.

"I'm really happy," he murmurs.

Louis grins.

"Will you stay with me? Tonight? I know you wanted to study after dinner, but - "

"Yeah. Of course."

"I just always feel really good when you're here," Harry confesses.

 

\---

 

"Gentlemen, are you prepared for tomorrow?" Professor Malfoy asks.

Harry nods and Louis replies, "Yes, sir."

"Professor Potter-Malfoy and I will be keeping an eye on you all. You've had some students volunteer to chaperone?"

Louis nods. "The potion has showcased some unexpected side-effects with some individuals, so we think it's best that every pair has someone nearby to break things up."

"And your friends, Mr. Payne and Mr. Malik will be participating or chaperoning?"

"They will be talking to the chaperone volunteers with us, but then they will be participating, sir."

 

\---

 

"I can't believe Zayn and Liam didn't get put together," Harry pouts. "They were the inspiration for the whole project."

Louis snorts. "You knew there was a good chance that would happen. It had to be random or else the results would be skewed."

"And Liam got paired with Niall, of all people."

"Something wrong with Niall?"

"Of course not, he's great, but he's not great for Liam."

"Zayn got paired with - "

"A pretty Ravenclaw girl, I know."

"He likes Liam, though, babe. There's nothing to worry about."

Harry sighs. "I guess we should…" He gestures at the participants paired off across the lawn.

"Observe, yes."

 

\---

 

"Liam! Niall!" Harry exclaims. "What are you doing?"

Both men have just been thrown from the lake by the giant squid with not a stitch of clothing between them.

"Mr. Payne. Mr. Horan. Get dressed. If this weren't a result of the potion, you'd both have detention. I'm still tempted to give you detention," Professor Malfoy strides towards them, summoning their robes. "Both you are going back inside for the rest of this experiment."

"Draco," Professor Potter-Malfoy says, trying not to laugh. "Are you regretting letting your students test this potion?"

"Harry, that isn't the point at all." He deliberately turns his back on the pair frantically giggling as they get dressed. "Mr. Styles, I expect you to escort both of them back to the castle."

"Yes, sir," Harry replies. "Sorry, sir."

 

\---

 

"Taylor?" Louis asks, hesitantly approaching the blonde and her partner for the day, Matt. "How's it going?" They both appear to have completely lost interest in each other or the event, simply staring out at the lake.

"I'm fine. I just thought this potion would give us a bit of a fun time," Taylor sulks.

"Well, it's not fully tested and the results vary from - "

"Person to person and pair to pair. Yeah, I did listen to you and Harry's whole introduction speech before we got to take the potion."

Louis frowns, glancing down at his notes. "You don't feel any different, then? Either one of you?"

Taylor shakes her head and Matt does the same.

 

\---

 

"The potion should be wearing off soon," Harry comments. "Did I tell you about Niall and Liam?"

Louis grins. "No, but did you see Zayn and Bianca?"

Harry's face falls. "Lou, Liam'll be heartbroken - "

Louis shakes his head. "Zayn's a bit more into Liam than we realized. Bianca was all over him, but he just kept telling her it wasn't going to happen."

 

\---

 

"Have you finished the report?" Harry asks. "I've triple checked the written directions of how we brewed the potion."

Louis nods, scratching a few more words to the parchment. "Yes. Done!"

"We've got a few hours before curfew…"

Louis rolls his eyes. "Like curfew has stopped you before."

"Can we please take the rest of the night off?" Harry pleads.

Louis looks over what he has left to do before Christmas hols and then finally acquiesces. "Just tonight. Then I've got a lot to do and - "

"I know, I know, we're spending hols together and we'll have lots of time together. I need to revise and shit, too."

Louis grins, pleased that his boyfriend isn't going to fight him on this. "What did you have in mind?" he asks, carefully sliding all of his books and papers back into his bag.

Harry smirks. "I thought we could sneak up to the Astronomy Tower."

"We are not having any kind of sex anywhere that does not feature a locked door or at least curtains that are silenced and spelled shut."

Harry snorts. "I never said a thing about sex."

"But doesn't it always end up about sex?" Louis lifts one eyebrow at him.

 

\---

 

"Not supposed to use magic outside of school," Louis whispers against Harry's lips. He leads him backwards towards the bed, pushing him back onto it and crawling up on top of him.

Harry giggles. "I didn't think you'd want anyone hearing us."

Louis waves his hand towards the door, wandlessly locking it. "I don't. I just feel the need to point out you're breaking the rules."

"And what was that?"

Louis smirks. "Wandless magic. And I'll be of-age tomorrow."

Harry pulls him down into another kiss, loving the feel of the other man on top of him. "Is tonight the night?" he whispers. "You finally going to fuck me?"

Louis nibbles at his lips a moment and then looks into his eyes and nods. "But - but I've never - "

Harry stops him with a kiss. "I know. I know. We're gonna take our time."

Louis takes a deep breath and nods again. He brushes Harry's hair off of his forehead and then kisses him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Harry replies.

"I want it to be good for you." The words are admitted in a hushed tone that Harry suspects he wasn't sure he wanted him to hear.

"Lou, it's gonna be good because it's us and I love you and you love me and everything we do together is good, yeah?"

Louis nods.

"And if we need a little practice, then I am more than happy to practice. Whenever you want. All the time."

Louis lets out a breath, assured and excited. He leans in for another kiss and jumps slightly as Harry's hands wind their way up his shirt. His thumbs rub against his pebbled nipples as he bites into Louis's mouth. Louis pulls back and starts tugging at Harry's shirt and after a few awkward moments in which Harry almost elbows Louis in the face, they're both shirtless and kissing once more. Louis smiles against Harry's lips. Harry's hand settles at the back of Louis's neck, making sure that the other man is unable to move away from this kiss. Louis can feel Harry's erection pressed against his thigh and he speaks without thought, "I want you to fuck me, too."

Harry groans in response. "Yes, yes, I want to, but you're fucking me tonight." He kisses Louis's jaw. "Wanna feel you buried inside me. Wanna feel you tomorrow when I sit down to breakfast with your family."

Louis bites his shoulder in retaliation of his words and then kisses his way down to his chest. He rubs his lips against a hard nipple and Harry squirms beneath him, gasping. Louis grins.

Harry's already reaching for their bottoms, undoing buttons and zippers and trying to figure out how to get all their clothes off without having to separate. Louis smirks and reaches for his wand.

"I didn't even know there was a spell for that," Harry murmurs, pleased at all the bare skin he can grab now.

"There's a spell for almost everything, silly." Louis continues his ascent down Harry's stomach and happy trail. He skips his cock and presses kisses up each bare thigh.

Harry squirms. "C'mon, Lou," he pleads. He starts to reach for his own cock and Louis smacks his hand away.

"Mine," he mutters and barely notices the way Harry gasps and stiffens at the word.

"Lou."

Louis slides his hands up his thighs, looking up at him. "Haven't even touched you yet and you're already so desperate."

Harry's biting his bottom lip and spreading his legs without a word from Louis. The older man smirks. "So desperate." He touches his wand and silently summons the lube from the bedside drawer.

He coats his fingers and then leans over to kiss the tip of Harry's cock. Harry looks like he's barely breathing, eyes wide as he watches him. A little gasp as Louis's mouth surrounds him. A huff of breath as Louis slowly works him open. He clutches the bedspread beneath his fingers, desperate to remain still as Louis works his mouth over his cock and his fingers scissor him open. "Fuck," he breathes. "Bloody hell, Lou. Stop - stop, I wanna come with you in me."

Louis smirks up at him. "I kind of thought you were a sixteen-year-old boy who could come more than once, dear."

Harry whimpers, eyes clenching shut as Louis takes him deep into his mouth, cock bumping the back of his throat. He curls his fingers, searching. Harry wants to cry and wants to come and want to wait and he really really doesn't know what he wants and then Louis finds his prostate and he's coming with a yell that he's worried might break the silencing charm.

Louis licks him clean and then kisses his way down each thigh. He hums. "I've seen you recover very quickly before, but how about this time?" He presses a third finger in alongside the other two. "Gonna wait til I'm fucking you? Hm?"

Harry's cock is already twitching in interest and he never thought he'd be so happy to be a teenager. "Yes, Lou. Please."

Louis pauses a moment. "You have to stop me if it hurts," he says, serious for a moment. "I don't want to hurt you."

Harry squirms against his suddenly still fingers. "You won't - you won't. I promise. Please, darling, please."

It's good enough for the other man. He kisses Harry's knee and slides his fingers out.

Harry whimpers at the empty feeling, unable to stay still as he waits for Louis to push into him. "Lou, Lou, please. Lou."

"Patience," Louis murmurs as he lines himself up at Harry's hole. "We're taking this slow."

Harry nods, desperate for Louis to get on with it. He pulls his knees up towards his chest.

Louis didn't think it'd be so difficult to slide in slowly, but Harry's tight heat make his entire body want to thrust forward. His hips twitch, desperate to bury himself in Harry. He reaches out to link their fingers together and Harry squeezes as Louis slowly pushes into him.

Harry feels like it's been entirely too long since he was last fucked and yet his body is reacting to Louis like this is the only person who could ever fill him up like this. He makes him feel whole and full and desperately in love and his cock has hardened again and he feels like he could do this all night if Louis was up for it. He hasn't even - he hasn't even properly fucked him yet and he already feels like this is better than every other time he's done this. And he knows. He knows it's because of Louis.

Louis watches a plethora of emotions cross Harry's face as he sinks into him and not one of them is a flicker of pain. He's been so worried about making this good for him, but he suddenly feels like that worry is silly. This is them. Harry and Louis. How could it not be good?

Harry wiggles his hips in an effort to get Louis to move, but Louis leans down to press their lips together instead. "I fucking love you," he murmurs.

"I'd fucking love if you moved," Harry huffs, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Louis kisses the corner of his mouth and grins. He releases Harry's hands to take hold of his thighs. He pulls out at what feels like torture and then thrusts back in. Harry lifts his hips, body desperate for the friction and the feeling and the fullness. He wants to come on Louis's cock alone.

Louis is getting distracted by his own desire. He wants this to be good for Harry, but it feels so damn good himself, he can't focus. He slows and adjusts his angle, trying to thrust against Harry's prostate, trying to make it so damn good for Harry, too.

Harry grinds down on him, pleading for him to speed up, but Louis is insistent. He lifts Harry's leg and adjust his angle again and Harry gasps, a shiver wracking his body. "Right there," he pleads and Louis bites his lips and tries to his the same spot again. It takes a few tries and then he's thrusting against it over and over and his boyfriend is turning into an absolute mess beneath him.

"Come for me, baby," he whispers, wrapping his fingers around his cock. "Come for me." His voice trembles slightly, Louis's so close to coming himself, but he tries to hold off, hoping he can get Harry there first.

And then Harry's there, his whole body shaking with it as he fists the sheets and his mouth drops into an 'O'. He shoots over his stomach and clenches around Louis and then Louis's moaning his name, forgetting to breathe. Then he's suddenly on top of Harry and he realizes he's blacked out for a moment. They're both panting and Louis's cock is softening inside of Harry and there's a mess between them, but they don't have the energy or care to move.

Several minutes (or maybe it's hours, neither of them could really say) later, Louis silently summons his wand and cleans them up. Harry whimpers when Louis pulls out of him and Louis promises to kiss it better later.

"Why not now?" Harry sleepily teases.

"Hush, you, or I won't do it at all." Louis's smiling and then he's kissing Harry again, but it's just a touching of lips to lips and lips to cheek and lips to forehead. It's not leading to more this time. "Love you."

Harry hums, happy and content. "Me too."


End file.
